A man accused of having sex with a horse denied having a fascination with them.

Julian Mark Ridgeway was giving evidence on the second day of his trial at Leeds Crown Court and said he had never had sex with a horse.

The 53-year-old, of South Lane, Netherton, Wakefield, has pleaded not guilty to having intercourse with an animal between April 18 and May 10 this year and to a second charge of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence at outbuildings on a farm near his home.

The prosecution claim he was the man seen leading the mare called Honey from its stable on the evening of May 10 by the owners who were keeping watch because they were suspicious something was going on.

They identified the man as Ridgeway and said he ran off but when the horse was later examined semen was found with a DNA match to Ridgeway supporting the allegation of sex on a previous occasion.

Ridgeway told the jury he had gone to pick up some litter earlier that day around 12.45pm and noticed the farm burglar alarm flashing and a gate open.

He went in and called out to see if anyone was there and saw the horse tied up. Asked by his barrister Matthew Harding if he had any contact with Honey he accepted as he walked by he put his fingers inside her.

“Why did you do that?” asked Mr Harding.

“Just for the sake of doing it,” replied Ridgeway.

“Was there any sexual motive for doing it?” asked Mr Harding. “No, there wasn’t,” said the defendant, adding that the DNA must have come off the clothes he was wearing.

Ridgeway said after he went home he did not return to the farm that evening and was not the man seen leading the mare from the stables after 9pm.

Under cross-examination by Patrick Palmer, prosecuting, Ridgeway said his motive for touching the horse was “just bloodymindedness. I didn’t do it for sexual gratification.”

The prosecution have told the jury in 1990 Ridgeway was involved in an incident with a pony when he was caught “in a compromising position” without trousers or pants washing its bottom and in 2011 a tape showing an unidentified man having sex with a horse was found at his home.

Mr Palmer suggested it showed he had a “long time sexual fascination with horses.”

“No, I don’t have that,” he insisted.

The trial continues.